Sometimes Heroes Come in Pairs
by steampunkiw
Summary: The Queen family was overjoyed to introduce their son Oliver to the World... Along with his twin Lilian. After the loss of the Queen's Gambit she was determined to bring her family home. Five years later, Lilian returns with her brother to Starling City with one goal, to save their city.
1. Prologue

**This story is a little weird in my experiences of fanfiction. The story and plot itself is mine, Cliodnha_LadyOfSorrow. However I am not good at writing. That's just kinda how it is, so the writing and detail work is courtesy of my sister, steampunkiw on . The story itself is just a thing we've put together, wondering if anyone would read it. If anyone finds any issues please mention it to us.**

Prologue

 _ **September 27th, 2007**_

Lilian Queen opened the car door with exasperation. "Come on. Get in Ollie."

"Why should I?" Oliver questioned with a drunken smirk.

"Because," She replied smoothly, "you're gonna get yourself in trouble if you don't. Plus, I'm older."

"Only by ten minutes!"

Lili sighed, "Just get in, I'm taking you home."

"Fine, whatever." He conceded and slid into the passenger seat.

Oliver grumbled quietly to himself for about five minutes before being lulled to sleep by the steady flash of streetlights. His head rested on the window and his body was slumped over, likely from exhaustion. Lili turned her head towards Ollie and sighed before turning back to the road.

The drive back to the Queen mansion was quiet, the only sounds coming from the radio, turned way down low, and the quiet murmuring that Oliver let out in his sleep. _He's like a child._ Lili thought, almost wistfully, as she remembered when they were younger, back when things weren't so complicated. The shared birthday parties, the playdates, when little Thea was born, all the while Oliver had been her one constant. He always stayed youthful, sweet, innocent. Even now. Although, recently, it might be classified as irresponsible and naive.

"Oh Ollie, you should know you can't stay this way forever."

"Hmmm?" Oliver hummed in response, still mostly asleep and fully uncomprehending.

"Shhhh. It's okay. Go back to sleep." she patted his head lightly as he fell back into his alcohol induced slumber.

* * *

 _ **Two weeks later…**_

 _Something came up. I got the internship! But I have to do some preliminaries today to secure my position. I won't make the boat. Go on without me. I'll try to meet up with you in China. Love you :))))) 3_

The message on Sara's screen sent a shiver of disappointment up her spine. Lili wasn't going to be on the _Queen's Gambit_ with them. And Oliver hadn't invited Laurel because they were going. Sara felt a twinge of guilt at that. _Now,_ she chided herself mentally, _It's not your fault. Besides, you know Laurel would absolutely_ _ **NOT**_ _be okay with you if she knew._

"Hey, are you okay?" It was Ollie, a careful question in his face, _What happened?_

"Oh yea-yeah, I'm fine. But there's really no use waiting any longer. Lili's not gonna make it." Sara shook her head and chuckled, trying to hide her disappointment from him.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Did you want to stay here instead?" his voice was soft, like how one might speak when confronted with a wounded animal, cautious. And yet, his eyes seemed to be slightly pleading, begging her to say no.

"No." she shook her head, "I want to go. Besides, who else is gonna watch out for you in China?" She emphasized the joke with a light jab to his rib with her elbow.

"Hey!" Ollie exclaimed, laughter lighting his face, and a smile tugging at his lips.

"But seriously, let's go."

"Yup. After you, M'lady." he performed an exuberant bow, turning his face up at the end to show her the mischievous smile that lit his face.

"Ollie, what are you- No! Put me Down! Ollie!" she broke into laughter as Ollie carried her over his shoulder down the dock at a near sprint. People turned their heads at the commotion, but Sara couldn't care less what they thought, she needed cheering up right about now.

* * *

 _Breaking News:_ Queen's Gambit _shipwrecked, no known survivors…_

Lili stared numbly at the headline that scrolled across the tv screen, tears stinging her eyes. Her cup of coffee slipped from her hand and shattered on the hard ground at her feet. She barely noticed as the ceramic shards stabbed her bare feet. _Oh God. Ollie._ And then another thought struck her, even more terrible than the last. _Sara._ Sara had been on that boat because of her. And now she's gone, along with Lili's twin brother. It didn't make any sense. Lili always knew when Ollie was hurt. Like that time he fell out of a tree in fifth grade and broke his arm. The moment it happened, she just _knew._ But, now? She didn't feel anything. _No. There's no way Ollie's gone and I didn't know about it._

"Lili! Oh my God, are you okay?" Thea rushed into the room at the sound of the shattering cup.

"Thea?" Lili was suddenly shaken from her stupor by the sound of her little sister's voice, "It's five in the morning. What are you doing up so early?"

"I heard a crash. Your room is right next to mine. Remember?"

"Oh. Right." she was still fuzzy, like she was swimming through honey.

"Yeah. Right. So…" Thea surveyed the room with her eyes, "Are you gonna tell me what's up with you or…" a quiet gasp escaped Thea's lips as her gaze landed on the screen which had captivated Lili's attention only moments before. "No… No. It's wrong, it can't be true." Thea's head was shaking vigorously as if the motion could fix the world that was suddenly crashing down around them.

"It's not." Lili stated boldly, hardening her sudden resolve.

"But… The ship, i-it crashed." Thea's head spun towards Lili, her eyes wide with fear as well as her own quiet tears.

"That doesn't mean Dad and Ollie aren't okay. They're strong." Lili said confidently, and then, more to convince herself than Thea, "They'll be fine."

 _ **Late October, 2009**_

 _Second Queen twin still missing after sudden disappearance, just three months after the loss of the Queen's Gambit…._

The words scrolled across the bottom of the Yamashiro's television in Cantonese. Of course, Oliver couldn't read it, not yet. Maseo and Tatsu would soon remedy this however, as they felt it would be helpful for him to know the language. They were also tutoring him in their native language of Japanese. The process itself was long and dull and tried Oliver's patience often.

The weather outside was torrential, one of the late showers in the season. Oliver was in the kitchen, studying languages with Akio while Tatsu did dishes. There was a particular string of characters that Oliver was struggling to understand, and he was beginning to feel the stress of his situation as a whole bubble over.

"Lili would be so good at this. She always picked up stuff like this quickly." Oliver's pencil cracked in his iron grip as he growled to himself.

"Who is Lili?" Akio asked softly, pulling his attention from his own work to look at Oliver.

"Akio. No!" Tatsu continued to speak in rapid Japanese, of which Oliver only understood a few spoken words. Tatsu said something in a harsh tone, Oliver thought he could pick up the word "sister" but he couldn't be certain.

"Hey," he huffed, "I'm right here y'know. Maybe you'd like to share with the class?" He pushed his too long hair out of his face, annoyance clear in his expression.

"She was telling him that it's rude to ask about those we have lost," Maseo said as he walked in the door.

"Lost?" Oliver asked in confusion, there was no way Tatsu knew about everyone he'd lost on the island, "do you mean my father?"

"Your sister"

"My, my-What? What do you mean, my sisters are safe in Starling City."

"No," Tatsu said slowly, "your sister, Lilian? She went missing right after you. I thought you knew." As she spoke, Tatsu proceeded to pull Akio way from Oliver, directing him to go to the other room.

Oliver's heart felt like it had stopped breathing in his chest, he had never even considered the possibility that Lili was anything less than safe. He stumbled back into the chair he hadn't realised he'd stepped away from, hitting his elbow in the arm as he went down. He didn't know how many minutes he spent in shock with the Yamashiros watching in worry, but he knew it wasn't nearly was enough to process the concept of Lili being gone.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: And we're back! Sorry for the wait, we are now _both_ in college and schedules are hectic so updates are erratic but we hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Chapter One**

 _October 10th, 2012_

Ollie's aim was spot on, the fire lit at the perfect time for their rescue. They followed the plan; act scared and pretend you don't know what they're saying. When they arrived back at Starling, it was insisted that they go to the hospital immediately; their mother would meet them there.

They were separated for "testing and examination purposes" quickly. Lili groaned internally, but complied regardless. She got cleaned up and checked out, as she was sure Oliver was too, and was returned to the shared room afforded them.

"They gave you a freakin' haircut? Seriously? That is so unfair, I have split ends too Oliver!" Lili exclaimed upon seeing her brother's fresh appearance.

He chuckled softly, "But Mom can still recognise you with your hair all…" he searched for the descriptor with his hands for a bit before giving up, "long," he finished lamely. "Besides," he said, "You just pull it back all the time anyway."

"It's called being professional, Ollie." They moved to stand at the window, staring at the city that neither of them had really seen in so long.

"It looks the same," Oliver sighed wistfully.

"Everything changes Ollie, you just can't see it yet. You want it to have waited for you." They settled into a comfortable silence, each considering their own crucible.

The door opened and in walked their doctor, followed by the one and only Moira Queen. Mom. She rushed over Oliver first, which was fine, He had been considered dead for five years. Lili was only "missing" for four.

"My babies. My beautiful, beautiful babies," she pulled them both into a long awaited hug, tears spilling over in sheer relief.

* * *

"Oliver, it's damn good to see you. And you as well, Lilian." Walter Steele should have seemed foreboding with his height, but one could see in his eyes that there was nothing but compassion in him. "It's Walter, Walter Steele."

"You remember Walter, your father's friend from the company," Moira cuts in.

Oliver had a brief conversation with Raisa, the maid, while Lili exchanged an uncomfortable handshake with Walter.

Thea bounded down the stairs before things could get much more awkward. Lili was sure Oliver had seen the wedding bands Walter and her mother wore. "I knew it. I knew you were alive. I missed you so much" Thea had captured Oliver in the small but deadly vice that was her hug.

"You were with me the whole time," Oliver said, his entire being softening at Thea's presence. From the look on his face, Thea diverted her attention to Lili far too soon.

"You were right Lili, Ollie is alive, but you weren't there to tell me the same about you," Thea's voice was soft enough that nobody else could hear her, could see how broken she looked. She stayed that way for just a second before brightening up again and suffocating Lili in her arms.

"I'm sorry. But I'm here now," Lili whispered in her ear, "And I need to breathe." Thea released her quickly with an apologetic look.

* * *

Tommy Merlyn was giving oliver a crash course on the events of the last five years, nothing important of course, and Oliver was pretending to listen. His chatter was cut off by Thea's voice.

"What was it like there?"

"Cold." Oliver's reply was short, but Lili knew from personal experience that it was also true.

"Tomorrow, you and me, We're doing the city. You've got a lot to catch up on," Tommy said to Oliver, lightening the mood significantly, "You're welcome to come too Lili."

"Oh no, I'm good. You know I was never really one for your flavor of debauchery," Lili smiled, already formulating a plan to get started on the crusade.

"That sounds like a great idea, Tommy," Moira said.

"Good. Then I was hoping to swing by the office."

"Well, there's plenty of time for all that." Walter took a moment to set his wine glass down, "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."

Oliver caught a bowl that Raisa had dropped, whispering to her in Russian. Lili shot him a warning look. "I didn't realise you took Russian in college, Oliver," Walter's look of mild interest allowed Lili to relax a little.

"I didn't realise you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter." Oh god, Oliver. That's your method of distraction?

"I didn't say anything"

"She didn't have to."

"Oliver, Lilian… Walter and I are married, and I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."

"Mom, we would never think that," Lili spoke softly to her mom, "Right, Oliver?"

"Right. Of course," Oliver stood, clearly uncomfortable, "May I be excused?" Moira nodded her approval and Tommy reminded him of their plans for the next day. Dinner proceeded in awkward silence until everyone was eventually excused, at which point Lili went to share the plan she'd been working out with Oliver.

* * *

Oliver was in trouble. Okay, so maybe she was following him to try and prevent his inevitable stupidity with Laurel but hey, what's a little light stalking between friends? She arrived too late for that, but she was in time to see Oliver and Tommy get snatched by men with guns. She knew if she didn't do something Ollie would have to get out of it himself, so she followed the car to warehouse in the Glades.

It was lucky Lili was already wearing the suit. Years of cosplay had allowed her to convincingly pad underneath it so that she not only appeared to have Oliver's general physique, but also maintained her mobility. The feeling of faux bulk reminded her of a much simpler time and her mind began to wander.

"I am Iron Man, here to save the da…. How do you do that?" The man in the Iron Man costume embodied the expression of someone's jaw hitting the floor as he looked at Lili's own getup.

"Years of hiding from the press; you need something to pass the time." Lili shrugged, already feeling stuffy from the padding she wore to get the "First Avenger" Cap brawn.

Lili smiled at the memories from one of her first conventions with her best friend, she wondered how Artie was doing.

Ensconced in the shadows, Lili observed for a moment to see if she could discover why Ollie was taken. The kidnappers were asking about the Gambit; she just knew that wouldn't go well. Lili sprang into action when she saw Oliver tense, silencing one with an arrow immediately. Unfortunately she had to chase the other two down, but before too long, they were dealt with.

She returned to check on Oliver and Tommy before leaving. Oliver was just rousing Tommy awake when she arrived. Lili ensured that she had turned on the voice modifier before speaking.

"Are either of you injured?" Her normally feminine voice growled out roughly. I forgot how good this modulator was.

"No, we're fine. Who are you?" Oliver asked. Lili smirked and ran off, hopping on Oliver's borrowed Ducati and speeding away.

* * *

Lili walked down the stairs, less than surprised to see detective Lance on their couch with his partner, asking Oliver about his kidnapping. Lance was clearly still hurt and angry about Sara and taking it out on Oliver. Lili felt overwhelming guilt twist in her gut; Sara would still be alive if it weren't for her, Ollie didn't deserve the blame. But it's not like Lili could just posthumously out Sara; not just to alleviate her own guilt.

Oliver, for his part, was spinning a convincing and surprisingly accurate tale about a man in a green hood. Although Lili thought he could have done without the sass. Tommy corroborated a little, having only witnessed the end of the skirmish as well as the departure of the hooded figure.

"...After all, a parent would do anything to keep their child safe." Lili zoned back in when Lance sent a pointed look in Ollie's direction and she couldn't handle it anymore. She had to get out of the house.

Lili excused herself and walked at a brisk pace to the garage, handing the waiting driver some cash to let her drive herself. She didn't realise where she was going until she had almost arrived: CNRI.

* * *

Lili sat in the car, debating with herself over talking to Laurel. She couldn't make Laurel forgive Oliver without not only outing Sara, but herself as well. And even though Lili knew that any relationship between Ollie and the older Lance girl would end in flames, she still wanted Laurel to at least forgive her sister.

Finally, Lili stepped inside and spotted Laurel. She hesitantly walked over to the desk, clearing her throat softly to get Laurel's attention.

"Hi," Lili's voice sounded hoarse, "I was wondering if we could talk? I know you hate my family but I still think it'd be healthy."

Laurel sighed and turned to face Lili, "I don't hate your family. Am I angry? Of course. But I'm not going to persecute you for Oliver's bad decisions."

Lili cringed internally. It wasn't Oliver's decision, it was mine. Oh mylanta, this was a mistake. I should not have come here. "Oh. I just assumed, after everything that happened. Look, it's not Sara's fault. I know you're probably upset by her part in all of this but-"

"I think you should go." Laurel's voice and shoulders, were tense. Lili had clearly struck a nerve.

"Okay. I am sorry though, for everything you've been through. And the part my family had in your pain," Lili made a swift exit and drove home. She couldn't bring herself to be completely transparent but she could still apologise.

* * *

The next morning, Oliver had a new friend. Well, bodyguard but friend just sounds so much nicer. Moira was worried because of the kidnapping and had made arrangements. Incidentally, Lili and Oliver had also made some decisions as a result of the abduction; they were speeding up their timeline; starting on the lair today.

Given Ollie's new buddy, Lili assumed she would be dealing with it on her own and gave Oliver a nod to convey that, which he seemed to understand. Or so she thought. An hour into her setting up, who should walk in but the man himself, carrying his portion of the supplies.

"Seriously? You couldn't have played along just this once?"

"What do you mean? Wasn't this the plan? You nodded earlier, clearly saying 'sneak away and meet me at the warehouse.'" Oliver's face was ridiculously innocent looking, showing genuine confusion at the bungled communication.

"No, that wasn't what I was saying at all!" Lili's hands found her face, massaging small circles into her temples, "But, since you're here, we might as well get on with it."

It took them a few hours to get everything where it needed to be but it was finally ready. They agreed that Oliver would go after Adam Hunt tonight, although Lili suspected Laurel's involvement had something to do with him being their first target.

* * *

Moira was frantic when she finally got ahold of Lili, practically hyperventilating as she desperately tried to find Oliver's whereabouts.

"Mom. Mom... Mom. Mom!" the other end of the line finally went quiet. "Ollie's with me. He's fine. I've already berated him for ditching his bodyguard. It's all good."

"Can I please speak with him? I have some words of my own I'd like to share."

"Sorry mom, he's currently sleeping off a post-abduction hangover at an inconspicuous hotel. I'll have him call you when he wakes up. Don't worry."

"No, you will bring him home the minute his eyes so much as flutter."

"Alright, I'll do my best. Love you, bye"

"I love you too, see you soon."

Lili hung up without waiting for the beep to show her mother had hung up like she usually did, nervous about what Oliver was out doing. She wasn't lying about the hotel, Oliver just wasn't in the room anymore. He was out having a chat with one Adam Hunt. Lili hoped that threatening him would be enough, but she wasn't naive enough to actually believe it, so she got to work on programming the arrow that would access his accounts.

* * *

Tommy and Oliver's party was a nightmare. It was too loud and too bright, while also being too dark, and there were too many people too close in too little clothes. The only reason Lili even came was to be close by for the takedown of Adam Hunt, she would much rather have stayed home.

It was approaching 10:00, Hunt's deadline and there was no money to be seen. Lili weaved her way through the crowd to try and locate Oliver, bumping shoulders with a drunk redhead, getting both of their clothes stained by whatever pink concoction had previously occupied the woman's hand.

"Sorry," Lili said hurriedly, grabbing some napkins from a nearby table and drying herself off to the best of her ability. She surveyed the room again, paying more attention to where she was walking when she spotted Ollie. He was talking to Tommy when they suddenly parted, Oliver appearing to be on a mission. Lili followed his line of sight and saw where he was going: Thea. They argued for a minute before she and her friends turned away and Oliver walked to a trash can to throw something away. Lili wondered what Thea was even doing at a party like this and why she would argue with Oliver after he had just come back.

When Lili looked back up at Oliver, he was talking to Laurel. Oh hell no. This is NOT happening. Just as Lili was about to go give Oliver a piece of her mind he led Laurel away from the busy dance floor towards the observatory deck. Lili fought against the crowd to try and catch up but the room was so congested with intoxicated twenty-somethings that she only managed to get to the deck as their conversation was ending.

"At least now you're honest." Laurel's words clearly stung Oliver; he didn't even try to stop Laurel's angry march in the opposite direction.

Lili checked her phone, hoping that Adam Hunt had made the donation, sighing when she saw no new transactions. She and Oliver made eye contact and shared a knowing look, Oliver would leave to deal with Hunt immediately. She would yell at Oliver about his terrible relationship choices later.

Oliver slipped into a service hallway to sneak away and Lili turned to go back to the party. She stopped when she saw Mr. Diggle following Oliver into the hallway. Guess I'll get my chance sooner than I thought. Lili walked briskly down the hallway, catching up just as Diggle was calling Oliver out on his BS.

"Excuse me Mr. Diggle but I need to speak to my brother." Lili latched onto Oliver's arm, dragging him towards the private conference rooms in another part of the building.

"I'm sorry, I need to keep an eye on him." Diggle followed, his gait radiating sternness.

"We'll just be in this room here." Lili gestured at a nearby room. "You can wait right outside but this is a private conversation."

"Fine, I'll be right here."

Lili pulled Oliver into the room, shutting the wooden door securely behind them.

"Thanks for the save. If it weren't for you, I'd have had to knock him out." Oliver was changing into his hero getup, not noticing the rather peeved expression on Lili's face.

"I wasn't lying about needing to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Laurel. What else you slut?"

"Lili, I don't have time for this."

"Fine, we'll talk later," and with that, Oliver flew out the window to wreak havoc on Hunt's building.

* * *

A fact about Lilian Rebecca Queen that is known only to two people outside of her family: she tends to rant to herself when angry. And Oliver had infuriated her with his stupidity.

Outside the room where Lili berated an absent Oliver, John Diggle stood guard, becoming increasingly amused at the sounds of the older Queen twin chewing out her brother. Her voice faded in and out through the door as the volume of her voice capitulated with anger.

"Oliver Robert Queen! Are you... kidding me!? ...'Ollie Queen: Dickbag extraordinaire!' Jesus Oliver, Laurel? Really, Laurel!... you were NEVER right for each other. You two are unhealthy, TOXIC even... tested for ANOTHER STD! ...oh! She actually did give you something! And I held your hand through the antibiotics! ...I'm not the one who got chlamydia! ...pregnant! ...college dropout! ...you have responsibilities now! ...Playboy billionaire Oliver Queen everybody! ...doing so many drugs he can't walk right sober! Don't even get me started on the drugs! ...went through Hell too Oliver! ...It's time to grow the Hell up!"

After around fifteen minutes, the Queen twins exited the room, a tense air about them. "I'm going home. Have fun at your little party Oliver," Lili said stiffly and stormed off. It was then that Diggle finally realized why people saw her as an ice queen, no pun intended.

* * *

Lili returned to the foundry to utilize the arrow she had designed earlier to redistribute Hunt's wealth. While the mission itself was successful, Oliver's welcome home party was disastrous and not just because it was broken up by the police.

Oliver strolled into the lair around two A.M. somehow looking pleased despite his constant broodiness.

"Stop it. You don't get to be happy with yourself, not after being so incredibly stupid! I mean really, Oliver, Laurel? Laurel? You know that there is no way for that whole mess to end well. Especially not now, Ollie. You and I? We aren't the same dumb teenagers in love with the Lance girls anymore. We're broken Oliver. What we've been through? There's no going back from that." Lili's voice broke, and Oliver took a half step towards her, looking guilty and confused.

"Lili-"

"And you know what Oliver?" Lili steeled herself, pushing memories of her past back, "You are such a Ho! I mean really? You wanna do that to Laurel? If you really cared about her, you'd stop tormenting her. You may not have cheated on her with Sara but you did still cheat. The model from Coast City? That pregnancy scare? How about that time you got chlamydia and I had to clean up your mess without Mom or Dad, let alone the tabloids, finding out about it? Oh I know! What about when you slept with your STALKER Oliver! I'm gay and I know the basic rule, 'Don't stick your dick in CRAZY.' Seriously, you may have changed in your time away. You may have even become a better man but you cannot erase your past. Not with Laurel. Mom and Dad may have been planning to sweep your idiocy under the proverbial rug but public record and personal relationships aren't the same. And yes, we all had a good laugh when you got drunk and tried to make out with Tommy but you need to grow the HELL UP! Speaking of Tommy, can you not see the way he looks at Laurel or she and you together? If you chase after her just because she's safe, because it's easier to go through the motions with her than to risk being hurt in a real relationship, you won't just be hurting her; you'll be hurting Tommy. And more importantly, you'll be hurting yourself. You need to let go of her Oliver. To let go of this desperate connection to the past. You've changed. This city has changed. It's bad enough that you refuse to see what a colossal disaster your relationship with Laurel has always been, now you want to hang around her when you should know how much pain you cause her with your very presence."

Oliver stepped back, "Pain? What pain are you-"

"Sara. You are constant reminder of her dead sister. And I know, it's my fault but you have had every opportunity since you came back to come clean but we both know you wouldn't do that. Not to her or me. So you need to get yourself together, keep it in your pants, and leave Laurel alone." Lili turned to storm off-for real this time-when Oliver spoke.

"I think Thea's in trouble."

"What?" Lili turned back, suddenly more concerned for her baby sister's safety than her brother's stupidity.

"She was at the party. I lifted something off her. Lili, it was drugs."

"No." Lili stated firmly and actually stormed off, pulling her phone from her pocket and dialing. Oliver was left alone, stunned by his sister's unusual reaction and abrupt departure.

* * *

When detective Lance arrived at the door, officers in tow, only Lili was unfazed. Moira was immediately on the defensive, caring mother that she was.

"Here to harass my son further detective?"

"No, actually I'm here for your daughter." Moira turned, shocked, towards LIli. "No, the other one. We have a search warrant."

"On what grounds?"

"Anonymous tip. Called in to inform us that one Thea Queen, was in possession of one or more controlled substances." It was then that Oliver realized what must have happened and glanced briefly at Lili. To anyone else, she might have seemed coldly detached but Oliver could see the glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" Thea interjected in a disbelieving tone.

"That's ridiculous! Thea would never do something so untoward," Moira protested but allowed the officers access to the locations specified in the warrant. They searched for all of twelve minutes before finding a prescription bottle with someone else's name on it.

"You recently experience an extreme injury miss Queen? Because I can't think of any other reason for you to have opiates, 'specially ones without your name on 'em."

"Mom I can explain-"

"Thea Queen, you are under arrest for possession of a controlled substance. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney-" Lance stopped to chuckle before continuing to inform Thea of her rights. Thea was cuffed and in a patrol car before anyone could really react.

Moira insisted on going to the station immediately and was already dialing the family lawyer. Oliver stood next to Lili and whispered, "Do you really think that was such a good idea?"

"She needs to face the consequences of her actions. Before someone gets hurt." Lilian walked silently up the stairs to her room.


	3. Chapter Two

**Just a reminder that this work is a collaborative project between myself, Cliodnha_LadyOfSorrow, and my sister, steampunkiw on . We update erratically but we have not given up. We're just stupid busy with lives, we have no plans to abandon this work at anytime. Feedback is welcome.**

 _Chapter Two_

October 14, 2007

Lili hadn't left her room since she found out about Ollie. It's not like she had anywhere to be. She had called Wayne Enterprises as soon as she got the news to pull out from the internship. She was too broken. But that changed today. She had had enough of her mother nagging her to function again. How could she? Her brother was missing.

Lili was so focused on her violent packing that she didn't notice Thea at her doorway holding a sandwich. "What— where are you going?" There was no response from the elder Queen. "Lili," Thea was trying to be firm but it came out pleading.

Lili finally turned around with a sad look. She shut her suitcase and walked slowly to where Thea stood. After placing the plate on a small table, she silently pulled Thea into a tight hug. A goodbye. All Thea could do was watch as her sister disappeared silently down the staircase.

* * *

Lili woke to what could only be described as a fervent pounding on the door of her motel room. "Lottie! Come on I know you're in there! Open up!" Artie's voice was desperate and full of worry, "Lilian," his voice broke as he used her real name, a sure sign that this was serious.

Lili shuffled to the door and looked out of the dingy peephole to see that her six-foot-three best friend had collapsed in on himself and was now sitting on the concrete outside of some motel in Bludhaven. She wanted to open the door, to accept the unconditional support and joy he had to offer. But joy wouldn't help her find Ollie. She knew that Artie had her best interests at heart. She knew he would stop her from obsessing.

Lili's head dropped, causing the door to rattle. It was enough for the man outside to spring to his feet and rush to the door. "Lili?" He asked excitedly, maybe hoping that she had only just heard him and was coming to open the door. When he heard nothing else his heart dropped, "look Lottie, I get it okay? Well, obviously Sydney is still alive but—"

"Oliver IS alive!"

"Lottie… even if he is, you sitting in this room driving yourself insane isn't helping him. You need to talk to someone, even if it isn't me," he paused for a long moment, "Please. I can't go to Round Table without my Lancelot."

Lili didn't answer. She didn't notice when Artie finally left. She just sat on the tacky carpet and typed, desperate for any new information.

* * *

October 31, 2007

Artie had been there every day, begging and pleading with her to let him in. At least, Lili thought so. The days had blurred together as the worked. Any breaks were purely from her body giving out after who knows how long without sleep. But today, when he knocked on the door, it swung open to reveal a dirty room and an even dirtier Queen.

Lili clearly hadn't showered in days, maybe even weeks. Her favorite Spider-Man tee was inside out and her hair was a veritable rats nest. The red around her eyes could have been from crying, overexposure to her laptop screen, lack of sleep, or any combination thereof. In short, she was a mess.

It was only after he rushed into the room to hug his best friend that the man affectionately nicknamed "King Arthur" or "Artie" for short by Lilian noticed the papers plastered to the wall. He let go of Lili and walked numbly towards the wall, both fascinated by her dedication and intelligence and horrified at the obvious obsession needed for such a project. He was so caught up by the sickening twist in his stomach that he didn't notice that Lili had started a tirade explaining the monstrosity before him.

"... and then last night — boom — I got it. I know how to find Ollie!" There were tears of joy in Lili's eyes as she gripped Artie by the shoulders. He was going to have bruises tomorrow.

* * *

Artie was once again amazed by Lottie's makeup skills. While her normal Halloween look was more extreme, this year was the most impressive and frightening. She looked normal. Completely healthy and sane. If he hadn't seen it himself and someone told him what she looked like two hours ago, he never would have believed them. He kept glancing over at her, nervous for what she was about to do but knowing he could never stop her.

"Would you keep your eyes on the road? I know, I'm fabulous, but I'm gay and you're in a serious relationship."

"Very funny. But we both know why I'm looking at you." He ran a hand through his black hair. "Lottie, this is a bad idea. What if you actually do go missing, or worse?"

"That's why we're going to my lawyer now, to make sure that unless they find my body, or other such convincing evidence, I can't be declared dead for eight years. I mean, I'll find Ollie and bring him home well before then, so I think that's a reasonable timeline."

Artie tried to argue for the remainder of the half hour car ride, but gave up when they pulled into the parking lot of the Queen's family lawyer.

* * *

"Lili please don't go! I can't lose my brother and my sister!" Thea has been begging for the week since Lili had returned home with a plan to find Ollie, growing more desperate with every arrangement made.

"I told you Thea, I'll be fine. I will call you guys every week and I'll be back before you know it. And so will Dad and Oliver. Then we can put this whole thing behind us." Lili pried her crying sister off of her and turned towards her mother for their goodbye hug.

Moira, for her part, took the news with grace, only mourning in the privacy of the guest room she had been sleeping in. She couldn't bring herself to enter the master bedroom she once shared with Robert, the guilt was liable to eat her alive. "Good luck. And come home safely. Please." Moira kissed Lili on the cheek and released her, only the slightest shimmer visible in her eyes.

Lili turned, hoisting her laptop bag over shoulder and dragging the single suitcase down the stairs behind her, sinking into the private car without so much as a glance back at her family. After all, she had a plane to catch. And a brother to bring home.


End file.
